Is cavity wall insulation safe?

Norma_Desmond

Our house is 200 years old and the walls are 2.5 foot thick SOLID stone - no damp!

turfy_40

i have heard you can get 100% discount for cavity wall insulation if claiming certain benefits..how do they check that you are telling the truth about your benefit when money is paid directly into the bank

withabix

silvercar wrote:

Our house was built in 1936, solid walls rather than cavities. Cavity walls became popular late 1930s. You can get insulating rendering or thicken walls from the inside but you are unlikely to have cavity walls.

Use of cavities before 1930s depends on area.

Most late 1800s houses in the north west have cavities, for instance.

wolfehouse

we have cavity wall insulation in our 1949 challet villa style house.
This eventually led to problems in the soffits because they were made of solid pieces of wood with no way for air to circulate and no circulation of air anymore through the walls. So if they can put in ventilation grates to these (if it is relevant) at the same time, it may save you having to deal with some rot later.

My elderly neighbour (in a bungalow) just had his done and is happy with the results. the holes looked strange but he got the house painted and now you can't tell.

Debt_Free_Chick

sarahlouise210 wrote:

My DH is against the idea as he feels a house needs to "breathe" ..is he being neurotic?? He thinks the house will get damp if the cavities are filled.

I don't think he's being neurotic and I agree with him. You won't get damp from the outside, in .... but you will almost certainly see an increase in condensation. This can be alleviated by increasing ventilation, but it cannot be fully eliminated. Condensation occurs where there is moisture in the air AND the inside of the house is warmer than the outside.

You can't eliminate the moisture in the air and if you balance the temperatures inside and out you've kind of wasted the insulation - as it's intended to keep you warm!

Furthermore .... older properties were built in ways that dealt with the possibility of condensation and more often than not, this was through breathable materials & construction.

Why is the house cold? Are the windows/doors draughtproofed? Double-glazing? Loft insulation?

djohn2002uk

Well our loft and cavities were done 2 yrs ago and it's a lot warmer and no sign of any condensation except in the kitchen and bathroom when they are used without ventilation. And that's no different to what it was before. It has certainly reduced our gas bill, and made the house quieter.

Lord_Gardener

It's worth it - get it done!